Reinforced plywood produce box



J. P. ELLIOTT REINFORCED P'LYWOOD PRODUCE BOX April 1, 1969 Filed Oct. 31, 1967 Sheet Of 2 V M a 1. T 3 I I I I l I J I flfl fl l I. I 3. I b .b 0. 2 m w w 2 l m :H u P J m m w v I41 I l 1 I l l I I l I A i I I I.|r I4 llllfllllllllblllllgll I J M u I M G I: h. F HHU I 2 INVENTOR. JAMES P. ELLIOTT ATTORNEYS FIG. 2;

April 1, 1969' J. F. ELLIOTT 3,435,980 1 I I REINFORCED PLYWOOD PRODUCE BOX Filed om. 31, 1967 Sheet 2 (5r 2 .//Oa. ,8 f I40.

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{ JAMES ELLIOTT ATTORNEYS I United States Patent US. Cl. 217-69 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rectangular plywood box with wood reinforcing strips along the top and bottom edges, connected at the top corners by angular tie bolts, and wood skids on the bottom adapted for stacking on other like boxes.

The invention relates to boxes for handling and transporting produce, and more particularly to stacking boxes for handling and shipping citrus fruit and the like.

Background of the invention Prior box constructions which have been made of plywood or the like have not been sufficiently strong, especially at the corners, when carrying heavy loads, and have tended to split or spread apart at the corners. Where such boxes have been reinforced, as by placing metal angles over the corners, the increased cost of the box has been substantially prohibitive for many purposes.

Moreover, while many box constructions have flat bottoms which permit of stacking, they have no means for preventing the stacked boxes from sliding, especially in transit, with. resulting damage to the boxes and the contents thereof.

Sunmzary 0f the invention The present invention provides a strong rectangular boX having plywood bottom and side walls reinforced along the top and bottom edges by hardwood strips, the top strips being connected at the corners by angular tie bolts engirdling vertical corner posts, and the bottom strips being connected at the corners to hardwood skid strips spanning the bottom wall at opposite edges thereof and having rabbeted edges for interlocking with the tops of similar boxes when stacked thereon.

The box of the present invention accomplishes the objects of providing a strong reinforced ventilated wood box at minimum cost, suitable for handling heavy loads of produce such as citrus fruit, having reinforced top and bottom edges and corners, with skids for interlocking stacked boxes, all without using any metal except nails, screws and bolts.

Description 0 the drawings FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the improved box, one corner portion being broken away and in section.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof, one corner portion being broken away and in section.

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical section on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a partial plan section on line 4-4 of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a partial section on line 5-5 of FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a partial plan section on line 6-6 of FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a partial elevation on line 7-7 of FIG. 2.

Description of a preferred embodiment The improved box as shown in the drawings is rectangular in shape, having four side walls 10a and 10b and a bottom wall 11. The bottom wall and at least two of the side walls 10a are provided with ventilating openings, preferably in the form of spaced-apart slots 12.

The top edge portions of the side walls 10a and 10b have reinforcing hardwood strips 13a and 131) secured thereto, and the bottom edges of the side walls 10a and 10b have bottom reinforcing hardwood strips 14a and 14b secured thereto. The reinforcing strips are coextensive with the respective sidewalls, and both the top and bottom strips have mitered joints at the corners with the corners of the strips beveled off at 45 as indicated at 15.

As best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the top strips 13a and 131) are recessed on their inner surfaces as indicated at 16 to receive the top edge portions of the side walls 10a and 10b, with the inner surfaces of the side walls flush with the overhanging portions 17 of the strips. Similarly, the bottom strips 14a and 1412 are recessed on their inner surfaces at 18 to receive the bottom edge portions of the side walls 10a and 10b, with inner surfaces of the side walls flush with the underlapping portions 19 of the strips.

Corner posts 20, preferably triangular in cross section, set in each of the corners of the box. The posts rest on the bottom wall 11, and their top ends terminate flush with the top edges of the side walls 10a and 10b and below the overhanging portions 17 of the topreinforcing strips 13a and 13b, as indicated in FIG. 2.

Preferably, the top and bottom reinforcing strips 13a, 13b and 14a, 145, are secured to the side walls 1th: and 10b, respectively, by socket screws '21. As shown in FIG. 5, the screws 21 may be screwed into sockets 22 which have plates 23 countersunk into the inner surfaces of the plywood side walls. The side walls may be secured to the corner posts 20 by nails or screws indicated at 24.

The top strips 13a and 1312 are connected at the corners by angular tie bolts 25 having their ends screwed into sockets 26 countersunk into the outer surfaces of the respective strips. In this case, for assembly purposes, the sockets may have separate locking plates 27 keyed to the sockets, and with prongs embedded into the top strips, as indicated in FIG. 4. Preferably, the tie bolts are recessed into the corner posts 20, as shown.

Hardwood skids 28 extend under two opposite edges of the box, for example under bottom strips 14b, and span the bottom of the box. The ends of these skids extend under the strip-s 14a and are preferably beveled off to match the bevel 15 on the strips 14a and 14b, as indicated in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7, and the strips 14a and 14b are secured at the corners of the box to the ends of the skids 28 by bolts 30. The skids 28 are rabbeted along their longitudinal bottom edges, as shown at 31, and also across their bottom ends, as shonw at 32, so that when the box is stacked upon the top of another like box, the rabbeted edges will fit within the overhanging portions 17 of the top strips 13a and 13b of the under box.

Preferably, a median skid 34 spans the underside of the box bottom, and is substantially parallel to and midway between the skids 28. The skid 34 is preferably nailed to and reinforces the plywood bottom wall, and the ends of the skid are secured to the bottom strips 14a by bolts 35. The underside of the ends of skid 34 are rabbeted at 36 to match the rabbeted ends of skids 28.

The improved box provides a strong, wood receptacle having ventilated walls for storing and transporting heavy loads of produce, the top and bottom edges and the corners being reinforced with hardwood strips, and the corners connected by tie bolts. The skids provide means for spacing the box above a floor or supporting surface for facilitating ventilation and handling of the boxes with a fork lift and the like. The rabbeted edges on the skids provide interlocking means when the box is stacked with other like boxes.

What is claimed is:

1. A rectangular box having plywood bottom and side walls, reinforcing strips secured along the top and bottom edges of said side walls, interior posts in the corners of said side Walls, angular tie bolts connecting the top reinforcing strips at the corners of said side Walls and spanning the inside surfaces of said corner posts, skids spanning the bottom wall at opposite edges thereof, means connect ing the bottom reinforcing strips to said skids at the box corners, and said top and bottom reinforcing strips having recesses receiving the top and bottom edge portions of said side walls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2. A rectangular box as defined in claim 1, in which the 10 RAPHAEL H. SCHWARTZ, Primary Examiner.

skids have rabbeted bottom edges for interlocking with the tops of similar boxes when stacked thereon. 

